Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-07
AN INTERVIEW
to Have Been Held With MsjOr
~Stahlnaker.

hNsbHry InHeS.
West Virginia is no doubtful State if
tariff is the sole issue Of the campaign in
lSSS," said Major Randolph Stahlnaker, Of
Wheeling, yesterday at the MonOngahela
House. 81 have been a Democrat ever
since l came out of the Confederate service
in lS65, and have done all in my power to
contribute to Democratic continuance IL
nv State, but if the Democrats of my State
are to ally themselves TO Mr.. Carlisle with
reference to pOpularizing his free trade
heresies | do not propose to act with them
longer. West Virginia development and
free trade are not concurrent ideas, neither
are they considerate ideas. Protection is
the only unqualified and absolute key to
the problem Of our development and on it
hinges all of cur hopes; with it we may
hope to approximate, even equal, this
State OF Pennsylvania; without it we will
be forever in in q condition OF helpleSsneSS.
with few exceptions even our agricul-
tural possibilities have not been touched.
All Of the hundreds of thousands of tons Of
coal that have been hauled out Of one side
of the State-I may say out Of three or
four cOunties-giye but a faint idea Of the
millions of tons in counties where citizens
hardly know the shape OF a coal pick.
These counties are miles remote from rail-
roads and are not even on good interior
country roads.
within the last year or two surveys
have been made through al of them and
present probabilities point to the early
construction of several roads. But if a
free trade House of Representatives and
Senate propose giving US free coal, free
iron and other free staples there will be no
necessity for the construction of these roads
and they won't come. II Mr.. Randall's
ideas are followed they will come.
II am not alone in this way of thinking.
There are hundreds of good old Democrats
who lapSed easily from Whiggery with its
early tariff doctrines into the Democratic
party after the war. Now yOuask, What
keeps them Democrats l will easily an
swer that. West Virginia was full OF Con-
tederates who were not ~ante-bullum Dem
ucrats. When they came home they were
met with the exhortation from Republican
stumpers and Republican politicians t"
Union soldiers and Republican voters,
Vote as You shot Vote as you shot Z
These four words have kept the Republi-
can party out OF power not only IN West
Virginia but in other Southern States FOR
one decade at least. There are man in the
Democratic party not a a matter OF par
TALLY but as q matter of necessity.
What the Republicans should do is to
bury the bitterness of war, relegate the
dead issues to their natural Obscurity and
move on present issues that it has adopted.
The tariff alone would assure it the sup
port of a very large class OF Southern
Democrats who regard with fear the pro-
greSs OF Carlislsism. | am no adherent OF
Democrats like Carlisle and if he is the
coming man or his principles are TO be
Democratic principles | shall be no longer
q Democrat"
Major Stahlnaker is ex.SeCretary ofState
Of West Virginia, and at present a promi-
nent manufacturer. For many years he
has been one of the chief leaders OF the
Democracy of his State aad Is considered
one the shrewdest Of its politicians.